l spoke up
boldly: "May we see your daughter?" she inquired politely. "I met her
the other day on the island and told her we would come to see her."

The woman's expression changed at once to an ugly scowl. Phil and
Madge wondered why their request should make her so angry. What harm
could come from their calling on the poor, half-crazed girl? Surely it
was plain that they meant her no wrong.

"We want to be friends with your daughter," Madge declared haughtily;
"we do not wish to injure her."

"Moll ain't here no more," the woman replied sulkily. "Her father has
took her away. She ain't never coming back." The woman grinned as the
four girls went away.

"O Madge!" Phil exclaimed, with her eyes full of tears, "I do feel so
sorry. I am afraid we have come too late. Poor Mollie will think I
have broken my promise. What could have happened to her? Do you think
her horrible old father has put her in an asylum? She told me that he
often threatened her, unless she did whatever he said."

"Don't worry, Phil dear," Madge replied sympathetically. "Perhaps the
woman was telling us a story and simply did not wish us to see her
daughter. I will come to the island with you again. Maybe we can find
her next time."

The girls hurried on until they were almost at the place where they had
left their rowboat. Phil was unusually sorrowful and silent. She
still carried her little basket with the gifts for her new friend. The
memory of a pair of wonderful blue eyes haunted her. Mollie's face had
looked so longingly into hers; it was filled with a wistful sorrow and
was haunted by fear and loneliness. It was not that of one who is mad.

"Girls," spoke Phil quickly, "will you go on down to the boat and wait
for me? I am going to run over to the tent and take another look in
there. At any rate, I am going to leave this basket of food. I won't
be gone but a minute."

Phyllis walked rapidly toward the tent. She half hoped she would find
the vanished girl inside it. But the tent was still empty. Phil set
down her basket. She was strangely disappointed and grieved. She
could do nothing more. There was nothing to do save go back to her
friends. As she stepped toward the tent opening her foot caught in a
piece of ragged carpet. Like a flash Phyllis remembered. Had she not
told Mollie to slip a note under this carpet if she was ever in trouble
or in danger and desired their help? Phil slid her hand under the